

                             DISCWORLD version 2.0 (release version)

                          A scenario based on Terry Pratchett Disworld Series

				For Civilization II MPGE

                             	By Cyrion and friends

                          		May 2004

                      


                                      CONTENTS

                                   1.	Installation
                                   2. 	Background
                                   3.	Designer's Notes
                                   4.	The Players
                                   5.	The Game
                                   6.	Credits
                                   7.   Feedback


1. INSTALLATION

I can only guarantee you that this scenario will work with MPGE. I cannot guarantee that it works with Fantastic Worlds or CiC. The size of the events file might be a problem with those versions. And without the events file, the scenario is not worth playing (and won't work properly)... . 
Create a folder under the Scenario directory, call it "Discworld" or whatever, and move all the unzipped files in.


2. BACKGROUND

This scenario is based on the fantasy world created by Terry Pratchett; I won't describe it here, but let's just say it is kind of fantasy turned on its head...

The Discworld is a flat "planet" (like a geological pizza, but without the anchovies...) supported by 4 giant elephants who stand on the back of an incrdibly huge star turtle swimming through space! This world is full of wizards, trolls, dwarves, guards and such, who are very stereotypical on some points, and not at all on others... 

Woodstock and Hollywood might appear on Discworld too, and they might not be so cleverly disguised: you should recognize them... 

Not knowing Pratchett's world shouldn't stop you from playing the game, as they are MANY descriptions to guide you (actually, all the techs, terrains, units, improvements and wonders have their descriptions), but you should read read the books nonetheless, for the sheer pleasure of it!


3. DESIGNER'S NOTES

This is my first scenario, but it shouldn't deter you from playing, as it has been tested by some "veterans"!

As I don't like managing huge empires, you won't be able to build many cities in this game! I think there won't be a game with more than 70 cities on the Discworld!

For the Discworld's specialists: you might notice a few points where I am being "untrue" to Pratchett's work; most of them are deliberate for playability's sake (and the rest are just 
mistakes...).

The scenario relies very heavily on the events file, to create necessary units, give techs, and provide more Discworld atmosphere...

And I quite like the way Barbarian Heroes can be recruited (see below)...


4. THE PLAYERS

There are 5 playable civs: Ankh-Morpork, Ramtop Kingdoms, Uberwald, Klatch and Omnia. The 2 others (Independents and Dungeon Dimension) are NOT intended for play.

Every playable civ starts with 5 cities and 1 Wonder, except Ankh-Morpork which has only 1 city and a few Wonders.

4.1 Ankh-Morpork
Ankh-Morpork is the biggest and oldest existing city on the Discworld. It is known to its citizens/denizens as the Big Wahoonie (a vegetable that typically grows to 20 feet, is covered in spikes the colour of earwax and smells like an anteater that's eaten a very bad ant). Bisected by the river Ankh, the city is really 2 cities: proud Ankh and pestilent Morpork, although the pestilence is quite democratic and in fact covers most of the city. Ankh-Morpork has been burned down many times in its long history; each time, it is rebuilt using the traditional local materials of tinder-dry wood and thatch waterproofed with tar. The city is the profitable bottleneck between the Sto Plains and the rest of the Discworld. It is a working city with guilds and wizards, small factories and workshops, and a flourishing cattle market and slaughterhouse district. Ankh-Morpork is the scientific leader and could probably become the foremost nation really fast. But beware food shortage...

4.2 Ramtop Kingdoms
The Ramtops are a range of jagged peaks, upland lakes, dense forests and little river valleys so deep that the daylight has no sooner reached its bottom that it is time to leave again. There is plenty of flat land in the Ramtops: the trouble is, it's nearly all flat in the vertical plane. There are little kingdoms all over the place. Every narrow valley, every ledge that something other than a goat could stand on, is a kingdom. Lancre is one of the biggest. The Ramtop Kingdoms are home to many creatures, including trolls and witches. They operate on the feudal system, which is to say, everyone feuds all the time and hands on the fight to their descendants.

4.3 Uberwald
Uberwald is a country of trolls, werewolves, dwarves and vampires, where the humans are far from having the upper hand. The country trades more every year with the other nations, and more and more young trolls and dwarves leave the country to go and seek their fortune in Ankh-Morpork (not forgetting to send money back home). Uberwald is full of natural riches, like fat, silver, gold and iron.

4.4 Klatch
Klatch is the centre of a prosperous and expansive empire whose capital is Al Khali and has a proud and venerable civilization. Its tongue is said to have all the subtlety of a language so ancient and sophisticated that it had fifteen words meaning assassination before the rest of the world caught on to the idea of bashing one another over the head with rocks. The continental hinterland consists of deserts, jungles and rainforests.

4.5 Omnia
A dry country on the Klatchian coast close to the deserts of Klatch and the jungles of Howondaland. There are 2 million people in the Omnian Empire; its principal city is Kom. Omnia and the Church of Om are more or less synonymous; there is no civil authority. The entire country is ruled by the priesthood. The main duty of the Divine Legion has been for many years to stamp heavily on heresy.. The sharp end of the religious system is the Quisition. Omnia used to send Chain letters to its neighbours to convert them (The Chain Letter to the Ephebians. Forget Your Gods. Be Subjugated. Learn to Fear. Do not break the chain -- the last people who did woke up one morning to find fifty thousand armed men on their lawn).

4.6 Independents
Regroups all the cities not part of one of the 5 playable civilizations

4.7 Dungeon Dimensions
The endless wastelands outside space and time. The sad, mad things that dwell there have no understanding of the world but simply crave light and shape and try to warm themselves by the fires of reality, clustering around it with about the same effect - if they ever broke through - as an ocean trying to warm itself around a candle. They are the arch-enemy civ, and comprise both creatures appearing from other dimensions and human barbarians. They must all be destroyed, before they swallow the world...


5. THE GAME

5.1 Units
This scen was developed with pbem in mind, with an equal number of units or techs to research/build for each playable civ.
Every civ has (from the start or through research) the following units:
- an unique, pre-built, extremely strong defensive unit in the Capital;
- a Public Workers unit (settler), from the start and through events, which can never be built;
- a basic unit from the start;
- an offensive evolution of the basic unit;
- a defensive evolution of the basic unit;
- a special unit through research: a flying unit for all civs, except for Omnia who get a kind of "Panzer" unit, which can attack flying units;
- a unique "national hero" unit that can be obtained through research: Rincewind, Esme Weatherwax, Lady Margolotta, 72-hours Ahmed and Deacon Vorbis;
- a scout unit from the start;
- a trade unit from the start, and an upgrade through research;
- a catapult unit through research;
- 2 kinds of ships through research;
- a few unique units that can be obtained through research (Death, the Boat, Golems).

There are NO buildable settler-type units! You get 1 Public Worker at the start, and a few at random turns (not really often). So it's up to you to decide if you want to build cities with them, but you might need them to build roads, fortresses and improvements...

There are NO diplomatic units.

There is a VERY useful Barbarian Hero unit which you can never build but have to recruit! To do so, you need to find a village and "visit" (i.e. attack) it! But pay attention: don't stay long close to the village, as the barbarians don't like visitors! And don't hope your scouts will come back from the village either...

5.2 Dungeon Dimensions
When you discover certain techs, the events file will create DD (Dungeon Dimension) special units that need to be destroyed, either to get some money or to prevent monsters from spawning there!

These event-created units are quite strong! So, guess who should you send to fight against monsters...

After some time, a portal to the DD will be opened somewhere! I recommend you hurry there to destroy it, before monsters invade the whole map! To close the portal, use the spell and your special unit! Should you lose the spell, maybe a horde of barbarian heroes could do it???

5.3 Trade
Trade units (Merchants) can be built from the start, but the various demands are not known at that point in time: you'll need to make some research to be sure to send the right goods to the right place! Or just trust your luck...
The evolution of the trade unit (the Luggage, replacing freight) doesn't obsolete Merchants. It is much more expensive to build, but more profitable and faster, so you can choose which one you build...

5.4 Strategy
The optimal strategy isn't the same for all nations, so it's up to you to experiment with them all! Nonetheless, there is a main common point: don't loose your capital! Otherwise, you might have some difficulties gaining the special units (Heroes, Death, Golems, national hero, Portal Closure spell). The Capital is easy to defend anyway...

5.5 The Librarian
The various historians have been replaced by the Librarian from Unseen University: a former human turned into an Orang Utan. His comment should be easy to interpret...

5.6 Victory conditions
To win the game, you need to possess at least 4 of the 5 Capitals (Ankh-Morpork, Al-Khali, Lancre, Kom and Bonk). Furthermore, the City of Ee has to be destroyed!

6. CREDITS

This project would never have reached completion without the inspiration, help or support from a great many people! Actually, this scenario is the result of great teamwork, and I would like to specifically thank some of the more "resolute" contributors, because this scenario is as much theirs as mine: Case, St-Leo, rjmatsleepers and duke of york! And of course curtsibling for his title screen. Thank you guys, we finally made it!

The list below might not be exhaustive, so if I forgot someone, or if you recognize your work, please notify me and I'll credit you as you deserve! (and I apologize in advance for any omissions...).

The list is more by order of appearance than by importance!

- Mr Sid Meier: for Civilization II!!
- Mr Terry Pratchett: for a wonderful series of novels, which I keep re-reading all the time!
- All the people on Apolyton, and above all the friendly bunch from the Civ II sections: I would never have guessed (or hoped) that people I had never known would be so friendly and willing to help! Thanks guys!! Your scenarios and comments helped and inspired me!
- Xuenay, who launched the project on Apolyton (2 years ago...);
- Case: for providing a first selection of units and helping throughout the project;
- St-Leo: for providing the map (brilliant work!) and advice on important points, as well as units!
- greeny for ideas and names;
- Yaroslav: for providing a selection of icons and playtesting;
- Arthedain: for ideas, support, units and playtesting;
- Catfish: for the Mummy and Esme Weatherwax units;
- N35tOr: for ideas and suggestions;
- rjmatsleepers: for ideas, support and playtesting;
- curtsibling: for a magnificent title screen!
- duke of york: for ideas and, above all, spell-checking!
- Stefan Hrtel: for having taken (without permission, sorry Stefan...) his Lost Paradise readme as a basis for mine; and for being an hell of a scenario creator!
- William Keenan: for technical answers!
Many many thanks to you all guys!!

Most of the graphics have been "plundered" from scenarios around the web, or from various compilations! Should you recognize your work and want to be properly credited, please notify me and I'll gladly add your name!


7. FEEDBACK

For questions, comments notes or anything else, you can write me an eMail
to vfrache@hotmail.com
You can also write something in one of Apolyton's forums, on the scenario/creation forum for Civ II: http://apolyton.net/forums


 
